Castles

After years of touring, Lissie swapped the fast-lane for flowing rivers and moved to a farm in 2015. The rolling hills of her Iowa home breathe fresh air onto her fourth album—honey-sweet vocals, country guitar, shimmering tambourines, and breezy melodies craft a sun-soaked vision of her rural escape. It’s not just her home’s landscape that has inspired her. Among “bird calling, water falling, dreams in the sunshine” (“Boyfriend”), Iowa has given her space to reflect. She shares her wisdom in powerful roars on “Best Days” but it’s stripped-back ballad “Blood and Muscle” where her shiver-inducing vocals shine brightest.